Australian Schools Debate Whether to Introduce Mandatory Drug Testing

Interesting article I read in The Age newspaper yesterday which debated whether Australian schools should implement drug testing or not. This debate comes on the heels of the recent debate to raise the Australian drinking age from 18-21 years of age. Here is the rationale why some want the schools to implement drug testing:

AT FIRST glance, the idea of drug-testing our school students may not seem palatable. But when we look more closely at the position we are now in, Australians may need to rethink how we can prevent illicit drug use among our young.

The fact is that rates of illicit drug use in Australia are higher than other countries in the developed world. For example, the US has lower per capita rates of amphetamine and cannabis use than we do. Its binge-drinking rates are also lower than those of Australian teenagers. Indeed, a recent international comparison of under-age alcohol use, conducted by Australian and US researchers and involving 6000 children, found levels of binge drinking are up to three times higher among Australian year 9 students compared with equivalent American teenagers.

Given that the US is making better headway than Australia, in both binge drinking and illicit drug use among its young people, we should be looking more closely at what is working there. One strategy that we have not yet tried as a preventive measure is drug-testing students. Unfortunately, this week’s Australian National Council on Drugs report on drug testing in schools fails to mention the many successful drug-testing programs being carried out across the US. These programs are now carried out in more than 1200 schools with documented high success rates in reducing drug use among students. [The Age]

When I went to school in the US there was no mandatory drug testing in my school. There was drug testing for people who participated in athletics though, but we were only tested once year and I did not know of one person caught taking drugs from the testing. I can understand drug testing for athletics to prevent athletes from taking performance enhancing drugs, but I don’t think it is necessary to test the entire school population. The expense and time for what is statistically a small problem doesn’t appear to me anyway to be worth it. Also it seems like this is the creeping of the schools into parenting. Parents should be responsible for whether or not their kids are taking drugs.

Speaking of parenting, here is a perfect example of how parenting can actually lead to kids taking drugs:

ILLICIT drug use by Australian schoolchildren is more common among those with the most pocket money, according to new research. (…)

The report found that students with relatively high disposable incomes were most at risk of getting into drugs. Those who had between $21 and $60 a week in pocket money were 60% more likely to have used drugs in the past 12 months than those with less than $20 a week to spend. [The Age]

This finding confirms what I personally experienced in high school, kids who’s parents gave them large allowances were the ones mostly smoking pot. In my opinion if teenagers have to work for their money they will be less likely squander it on things such as buying pot. However, I knew of very few people that even used drugs in high school.

Here is what I find to be the most troubling findings of the study:

The research, by the Australian National Council on Drugs, found that in any given week, one in five 16 to 17-year-olds drank at harmful levels. By contrast, fewer than 4% of school students were regular users of cannabis, and fewer than 1% used other illicit drugs.

20% of 16-17 year olds in high school binge drink? Amazing. This is probably a higher percentage of binge drinking then what I experienced in college in the US. This is something that raising the drinking age will not change because these teenagers are already under the legal drinking age and binge drink anyway. It seems to me focusing on the under age drinking problems in school would be a more worthy pursuit then drug testing everyone in the nation’s schools. Of course I could be wrong, any other thoughts from anyone?

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About The Author

Dobbs

I am a avid hiker with a love for travel and the outdoors. I currently call the Aloha State of Hawaii my home.

11 Comments

ChrisMay 18, 2008

I don’t think it’s just the legal drinking age that is the problem. Though raising it may change things a little. I must be old (36), but I don’t understand why young adults need to be out at 3-4am in the morning and still drinking. What ever happened to going out, having dinner, having a few drinks and then being home in bed by 1am. Change the clsing hours, and they might also solve some issue.

DobbsMay 18, 2008

That is another idea being floated around and might be something good to try first before messing with the drinking age.

HayleyMay 18, 2008

This is crazy when it is the minoirty that is causing the trouble not the majority. 😡 It isnt just young 18-21 year olds that fight lots happen between over 21yr olds. drugs are more of a common problem then binge drinking! i am at uni and it is unbelievable how many people will choose speed on a night out rather then alcohol! drugs have become too common and so easy to access i think it should be the main concern of the government as it is more likely for speed and cocaine to kill someone!

DobbsMay 18, 2008

I haven’t read anything that drugs were involved in any of the various beatdowns that happened in Melbourne. I have seen in the news that some people are arguing that gangs looking to start fights are more of the problem in regards to beatdowns then the actual alcohol.

DanielleMay 18, 2008

i think its a load of crap to change the drinking age to 21! i would really know if they were going to bring it in for the year of 1992. i dont think it will solve any thing more kids are just going to be drinking under age for a longer period of time cause they have to wait another 3 years to be legal.

LauraMay 18, 2008

This is ridiculous. Although the government thinks it will be helping to stop binge drinking and such they are just going to get a lot of drama on their hands. Speaking as a 17 year old who has been looking forward to her 18th birthday for like 3 years, not so i can get pissed, but so i can have a drink with my friends, go out dancing and knowing im allowed to be.
Speaking to some of my friends, people are not going to be impressed, by enforcing this rule, you’ll find more teens will rebel and drink more, because they have so long to wait till they can legally drink. This is the 21st century people we aren’t patient, binge drinking will not stop by changin the drinking age. there is not much we can do, except try and scare them out of it maybe, which rarely works still. Good luck Rudd, but i tell you now, if u change it, i will be one of those people in the protest! you don’t have to agree with me, but here i speak for at least half the teen population of australia. 🙂

JohnMay 18, 2008

❗ this is absolute crap, its the party drugs like extacy that needs to be stopped because its what is causing all the problems.

SeanMay 18, 2008

I noticed that its he european countries with the lowest legal drinking ages which have the lowest alchohole related crime rates australians drink to get drunk we have been brought up not being allowed to drink it so when we finally do and discover what it does we go crazy with it for a few years i think that raisig the legal drinking age will have side effects such as higher number of people in street gangs higher police call outs to the suburbs atleast having majority of the violence centralised should make it easier for police to handel if the legal age gets raised i think the problems will just spread out to the suburbs and effect more peoples lives in he long run

ChrisMay 18, 2008

Raising the drinking age to 21 will do nothing more than lower the collective maturity of Australia’s young adults. instead of going out and binge drinking at age 18 they will do it at age 21.

This will also result in a black market emerging for fake i.d’s in Australia like there is in the U.S.

JessMay 18, 2008

I believe if the drinking age was going to be 21 it should have been introduced many many years ago. Doing it now will cause a lot of controversy with older teens. There must be another way to fix things. I believe this will benefit a minor piece but only created bigger problems. Fake ID’s will become a massive issue. Violence and underage parties number will increase, and in the suburbs where families should feel safe. Drinking age should not be tampered with other changes should occur.

Bob BartonMay 18, 2008

i rekin the new drinking age is a load of sh$t and should leave it as 18 rudd can suck my di%k leave Australia be Australia and America be America